Successful integration of tomato grafting with high tunnels (HT) could open new opportunities for the Texas tomato industry by using vigorous rootstocks for effectively managing soil diseases, abiotic stresses, and improve fruit quality and yield. Multilocation trials were conducted to evaluate the yield performance of grafted tomatoes in HT and open-field (OF) environments. Overall the HT system enhanced marketable yields by 116-161% relative to OF systems, with an additional 8-23% increase due to grafting adapted cultivars with interspecific rootstocks. Results from these studies demonstrated that grafting along with a protected environment system clearly has the potential to significantly increase tomato profitability. Current studies are focused on:
- Nutritional fruit quality such as sugars and antioxidant metabolites
- Root traits in commercial and TAMU rootstocks under water and nitrogen deficit
- Biochemical basis of drought tolerance in wild tomato accessions (Solanum pennellii, S. peruvianum S. habrochaites)
- Quality of grafted transplants based on enhanced root growth.
